Yet another great camping session over the long weekend! After a Thursday night sleep in Parksville, and a great supper at Cedar's Restaurant, we had a flawless journey by two small ferries to Hornby. It might have been because we took them in the morning, but over this trip we did notice less folks visiting this island than normal. With a visit to the Co-Op mercantile area, and a tasty Greek pizza lunch at Hornby Island Bakery and Pizza, we made one more stop at a roadside stand that makes great pastries (peach almond scone was chosen) before checking into our outdoor accommodations.
Once set up at our camp site, and putting up our new tent, we relaxed and walked around. This place is always comfortable zen for us.
A change to our tradition of first night camping meal was steak and vegetables! Eating it on the shore, with accompanying slowly setting sun, was a perfect first day.
A nicely lazy start to our Saturday was followed by a visit to the free store, where I got some books and a Great Courses set on writing, then the Farmer's Market, and a noodle and salad bowl lunch at Forage Farm and Kitchen. Also visited the new-to-me Beltane Books caravan. They had a storefront until 2019, then sold at the Co-Op corners on tables, and now have this charming structure.
Wanting to stretch our legs we drove to Halliwell park and walked the circuit. The wind helped cool our skin and, as always, the scenery cooled our minds into a relaxing state.
After leaving, and encountering a Campbells soup can left by a giant, we stopped at the Sea Breeze for a drink and appy, picked up a lemon square from the roadside stand and enjoyed our normally traditional supper of Annies cheesy pasta and sparkling wine. After the dessert, we observed the spectacle of a heron hunting for its meal by the seaside.
Sunday morning mimicked our Saturday until we took a two hour hike through Mount Geoffrey park. It had been several years since we visited and the trail systems have been improved and expanded. We encountered more bicyclists than hikers and combined there were fewer than expected. It made the walk through nature a zen-like experience.
Since our Friday pizza was so good, we had reserved a larger pizza yesterday for today's supper! For dessert we had a chocolate zucchini cake and a sunset by the shore.
Shortly before bed, lightning flashes and distant thunder were heard and just when my wife got into the tent for the night a rain of heavy raindrops started. It wasn't a deluge and ended after a bit, but I awoke at 3am from another burst. My wakefulness did not last long and I descended into slumber again.
Monday we had our regular oatmeal, read for a bit, and back up our stuff. Since our tarp and tent were still a little wet we roughly packed them so we could dry them out once home. With a quick visit to Coombs - for the book, comic, and Dutch stores - we set off for Victoria, with one stop for a late lunch burger, at McDonalds.
Another enjoyable weekend with beneficial rest and a healthy filling of our nature batteries.
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